September is "Food Safety Awareness Month". Bacteria is everywhere. Sometimes, they can even enter our food and cause illness. The only way to stop foodborne illnesses is to practice good food safety techniques. This will help to prevent bacteria and other foodborne pathogens from entering our bodies through the food we eat. The following are a few simple steps to help decrease the risk of containing a foodborne illness:
- Clean- Wash your hands with warm water and soap before and after handling food. Wash all surfaces and utensils with hot soapy water before preparing food and before you go onto the nest food. Make sure to rinse all fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Separate- Cross-contamination can occur when bacteria are spread from one food to another. Keep separate raw meats and eggs from other foods in your grocery shipping cart, grocery bags, and refrigerator. Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat or eggs.
- Cook- Always cook food to the recommended temperatures. Color is not a reliable indicator of doneness, so make sure to use a food thermometer.
- Chill- Refrigerate food promptly. Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Refrigerators should be kept at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When in doubt, throw it out- Discard all swollen, gassy, leaking, or spoiled canned goods as well as fresh or cooked foods that have been kept past a safe keeping time frame.
For more information please visit the following websites:
